I HATE Celebrities

I do. Well, most of them. Almost all of them. Now, I don't know these people personally, so I don't really hate them, just the idea of them in general. I hate that we've become a society that reveres them and obsesses about them. Myself included. (So there is a bit of self-loathing there.)

But as you may have read in a previous post, I'm more fascinated when bad things happen to them.

Is it jealousy? Of course that's a part of it. Who wouldn't have a little pang that these people get paid an inordinate amount of money for basically doing what we all can do? Not to say that many celebrities aren't talented because they are, most of them. But let's face it, it's possible that anyone could be an actor but how many people can be astrophysicists? I'm just saying.

However, I have a real problem with the way in which our society treat them and agrandizes them, as if they were somehow inherently worthy of such adoration for simply being famous. When in actuality the chance of being famous depends mainly on luck. The country is filled to the brim with talented actors and singers and dancers and blah blah blah. But they're not famous and 95% of them never will be. And the ones that are really are no different than anyone else on the street.

So why is it that we're a nation obsessed with celebrity? We love to love them and we love to hate them. We enjoy builiding them up until they're on a pedastal and then we enjoy tearing them down to the ground with almost cannibalistic pleasure. It happens all the time. Just look st the recent press on Madonna.

Now me, I've never even written a fan letter. I don't buy celebrity magazines or fashion magazines or even tabloids. Or any magazine in general. I don't see the point in wasting my money or time. I don't watch ET or Access Hollywood or The Insider. Same reason.

Now, I wish I can say that I don't watch television in general, but then I'd be lying. I watch more than my fair share of television. I'm obsessed with it. And movies. And music. I like to be entertained. But I don't mistake that the characters that I so enjoy on television are in any way representative of the actors that portray them. I don't think that famous people are special just because they're famous. I respect and admire their talent but there's a woman in my church choir with a voice that puts Whitney Houston to shame. And that puts things in perspective for me. I like people more than I like celebrities.

I don't know that everyone has that same perspective.

Case in point. Princess Diana and Mother Teresa both died within a relatively close proximity to one another. And yet, who's death garnered more attention? Who's funeral was broadcast in its entirety on two continents? Not Mother Teresa. Both women were known for their generosity and kindness (although I think that living with lepers for 40+ years takes a bit more precedent over 'visiting' orphanages, but again, that's just me).

Who am I to say that Mother Teresa's death was more important than Priness Diana's or that Mother Teresa was a better person than Diana?

I can't.

And neither should anyone else.